fasts and vrats
What is Govardhan Puja vrat and is fasting required on this day?
The story and the day
Govardhan Puja, also called Annakut, falls on the day after Diwali. It celebrates a story from the Bhagavata Purana in which Krishna lifted the Govardhan Hill on his finger to shield the people and animals of his village from a terrible storm sent by Indra, the god of rain and thunder. The name Annakut means 'mountain of food'. The day is about offering and sharing food, not about going without it.
Food and the festival
The heart of Govardhan Puja is Chhappan Bhog, which means fifty-six offerings. Families prepare many kinds of food—sweets, vegetables, grains, dairy, fruits—and offer them to Krishna. After the puja, all this food is eaten together as blessed food, called prasad. Because the day centers on offering and eating many foods, a full fast is not common. Some families may eat lightly or skip one meal before the puja itself, but this is not a main part of the tradition. The focus is on abundance and sharing, not restraint.
How it is kept today
In practice, Govardhan Puja is kept very differently across families and regions. Some do observe a partial fast or eat only fruit or milk before the puja ceremony. Others eat normally throughout the day. Many families focus on making the offerings and the meal rather than on fasting. In homes far from India, the day is often marked by cooking special foods and sharing them, whether or not a fast is part of it. The custom changes from place to place and family to family.